READYFORCHANGE?Written by Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD ®
A“And the day came when therisk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than therisk it took to blossom.” - Anaïs NinIs being disorganized affecting your daily life? Are youready to make a change? Are you really sure you’re ready?Maybe you are and maybe you aren’t.When it comes to getting organized, change is essential.What once worked isn’t working any longer, and thatrequires a different way of thinking and doing.Change is a process. It isn’t always a straight path, andit isn’t always easy. Most people resist change because itbrings in the unfamiliar; you feel scared, you don’t knowwhat to expect, and you can feel very alone.According to the Institute for ChallengingDisorganization, people may experience five phases ofchange. They are not always linear, and people can goback and forth between phases.Phase 1: Initial rumblings. The feeling that beingdisorganized no longer serves you. You aren’t yet readyto make any changes, but you know you’re uncomfortablewith your current situation and you’re getting emotionallyprepared.Phase 2: Identifying possibilities. You feel dissatisfiedand anxious yet paralyzed to change anything on yourown. You start to at least think about enlisting outside helpfrom a professional organizer, but you feel apprehensiveabout actually doing it.Phase 3: Reaching out. The pain and overwhelm areenough to make you pick up the phone and make the call.You realize you can’t do it alone, and you begin to feelhopeful that things will change with the right support.Phase 4: Beyond talking. Now you are ready foraction. You have committed the physical, emotional,and financial resources needed to create your desiredchange. You’ve hired an organizer and are starting todo the work. Big feelings may arise at this stage, likeguilt, grief, nostalgia, love, elation, relief that someoneis helping you, and frustration and impatience with howchallenging, and slow, the process can be. In this phase,there may be forward progress as well as “backsliding,”reverting to old habits and thought processes becausethey are familiar and comfortable. This phase may lastquite a while. If you stick with doing the work, theresults make the emotional roller coaster worth riding.Phase 5: Life jolts. Significant life events, like marriage,the birth of a baby, divorce, relocation, job change, or aworld crisis can jumpstart the process of change. Youcan see much more clearly what you really want to keepin or release from your life, whether physical items, timecommitments, or toxic relationships. You are highlymotivated to make changes, and progress can be rapid atthis stage. Your organizing goals are in sight!About The AuthorGAYLE M. GRUENBERGGayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD ® , CVO, is the chief executiveorganizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an organizer coach, andthe creator of the Make Space for Blessings system.To Learn More Visit:www.LGOrganized.com